Recyclable Single Polymer Floorcovering Article

ABSTRACT

This invention relates to tufted floorcovering articles, including carpet tiles and broadloom carpet. In particular, this invention relates to tufted floorcovering articles made from the family of polymers known as polyester. Specifically, this invention relates to tufted carpet tile products made from polyester. The polyester carpet tiles meet commercial performance specifications and are fully end-of-life recyclable.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority to, and is a continuation of,co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/201,996 filed Mar. 10,2014, entitled “Recyclable Single Polymer Floorcovering Article,” whichclaims priority to U.S. Patent Application Ser. No. 61/777,028, entitled“Recyclable Single Polymer Floorcovering Article,” which was filed onMar. 12, 2013, all of which are entirely incorporated by referenceherein.

TECHNICAL FIELD

This invention relates to tufted floorcovering articles, includingcarpet tiles and broadloom carpet. In particular, this invention relatesto tufted floorcovering articles made from the family of polymers knownas polyester. Specifically, this invention relates to tufted carpet tileproducts made from polyester. The polyester carpet tiles meet commercialperformance specifications and are fully end-of-life recyclable.

BACKGROUND

The end-of-life option for the majority of tufted floorcoveringarticles, such as carpet, is landfill disposal. In their 2011 AnnualReport, Carpet America Recovery Effort (CARE) reported that 91% of theremoved carpet was sent to landfill. The complexity of the carpet,including multiple incompatible layers comprised of various materials,limits recycling and end-of-life options. Because landfill space islimited in quantity and expensive to utilize, with costs continuing torise, the disposal of carpets in landfills is not acceptable. Thus,there is a need in the industry for the development of tuftedfloorcovering articles which are substantially 100% recyclable andeliminate the landfill disposal problem.

Tufted carpet typically consists of a face yarn (staple or continuousfibers) tufted into a primary backing. The yarn provides the appearanceor aesthetics of the carpet. The primary backing can be either a woven,nonwoven or knitted product which supports the tufts. The tufts aresecured to the primary backing using a precoat adhesive, which istypically latex based. Most commonly used latexes are usually SBR(styrene-butadiene) or EVA (ethylene vinyl acetate) based. Some VAE(vinyl acetate ethylene if vinyl acetate component is greater than 60%)is also utilized, but not as common. Some manufacturers of PVC(polyvinyl chloride) backed tiles sometimes use a diluted form of PVCthat contains additional amounts of plasticizers to further reduceviscosity properties. All of these types of precoats are usually filledwith inorganic particles such as CaCO₃, BaSO₄, coal fly ash, or recycledglass cullet in an effort to reduce cost, improve tuft bind strength,and sometime for additional recycled content. However, these fillerstypically create a serious problem for downstream recycling.

The precoat adhesive secures the tufts and prevents the tufts frompulling free of the primary backing (Tuft Bind of Pile Yarn in FloorCoverings ASTM D1335). The precoat adhesive also provides pill and fuzzresistance (Velcro Roller Fuzzing Test ITTS 112). A back coating of PVC,bitumen, modified bitumen, EVA, VAE, or polyolefin is applied along witha fiberglass layer. The back coating provides a moisture barrier and,along with the fiberglass layer, provides dimensional stability to thecarpet tile. In some cases, a polyurethane foam and/or nonwovenunderlayer is applied to the back of the carpet. This underlayerprovides for underfoot comfort and absorbs impact, which allows thecarpet to look newer longer.

The performance requirements for commercial carpet include a mixture ofwell documented standard tests and industry known tests. Resistance toDelamination of the Secondary Backing of Pile Yarn Floor Covering (ASTMD3936), Tuft Bind of Pile Yarn Floor Coverings (ASTM D1335), and theAachen dimensional stability test (ISO 2551) are performance testsreferenced by several organizations (e.g. General ServicesAdministration). Achieving Resistance to Delamination values greaterthan 2 pounds is desirable, and greater than 2.5 pounds even moredesirable. Achieving Tuft Bind values greater than 8 pounds isdesirable, and greater than 10 pounds even more desirable. With respectto the Aachen (ISO 2551) performance test, dimensional stability of lessthan +/−0.1% change may be most preferred.

Velcro rolling fuzzing resistance for loop pile (ITTS112) is aperformance test known to the industry and those practiced in the art.The Velcro roller fuzzing resistance test is typically a predictor ofhow quickly the carpet will pill, fuzz and prematurely age over time.The test uses a small roller covered with the hook part of a hook andloop fastener. The hook material is Hook 88 from Velcro of Manchester,N.H. and the roller weight is 2 pounds. The hook covered wheel is rolledback and forth on the tufted carpet face with no additional pressure.The carpet is graded against a scale of 1 to 5. A rating of 5 representsno change or new carpet appearance. A rating of less than 3 typicallyrepresents unacceptable wear performance.

An additional performance/wear test includes the Hexapod drum tester(ASTM D-5252 or ISO/TR 10361 Hexapod Tumbler). This test is meant tosimulate repeated foot traffic over time. It has been correlated that a12,000 cycle count is equivalent to ten years of normal use. The test israted on a gray scale of 1 to 5, with a rating after 12,000 cycles of2.5=moderate, 3.0=heavy, and 3.5=severe. Usually, nylon 6,6 performsbest under this test. Nylon 6 performs similarly, but slightly lessresilient. Fibers such as polyester and polypropylene struggle toachieve acceptable results. Yet another performance/wear test includesthe Radiant Panel Test. Some commercial tiles struggle to achieve aClass I rating, as measured by ASTM E 648-06 (average critical radiantflux >0.45=class I highest rating).

Attempts have been made by others to create single polymer carpetconstructions. These include disclosures of all polyester, polyamide,and/or polypropylene carpets. It is believed that this work was drivenby the need to identify a carpet construction that would have lowenvironmental impact and easily recyclable at the end-of-life. Few ofthese efforts were commercialized and widely practiced due to costs andsub-standard performance issues.

Recycling of polyester (“PET”) is well known in the industry. Polyesterrecycling options include depolymerization via methanolysis, glycolysisor hydrolysis; melting (or melt processing) and pelletizing. Typicalcarpet recycling efforts focus on removing individual components, suchas polyamide yarn and fillers. The ability to recycle an unfilled singlecomponent carpet product will be easier and produce fewer emissions thanthe traditional multicomponent carpet products. Unfilled all polyestercarpet products could be easily recycled into fiber, which is one of themain uses of recycled PET.

The use of recycled materials in carpet constructions is well known inthe industry. The recycled materials, post-industrial or post-consumer,are used to reduce raw material costs and to minimize the impact on theenvironment to produce additional virgin raw materials. In someconstructions, recycled materials are added as fillers. The use of manyof these fillers adds to the already difficult task for recyclers toseparate fiber types of the complex composites, by including the task ofremoving additional inorganic particulates from the comingled wastestream. The NSF 140 standard has been developed to allow for independentcertification of the sustainability, recycle content, end of life, andother criteria of floorcovering articles. As such, many floorcoveringarticles are labeled with the amount of recycled material content theycontain (post-consumer and post-industrial), and there are effortswithin the industry to maximize the use of recycled raw materials.

BRIEF SUMMARY

The invention provides for a tufted carpet that meets the commercialtile performance requirements. The invention further provides for acarpet made from a single polymer family, in this case polyester. Theinvention provides for a tufted carpet with an ash content of less than0.25% and a solution intrinsic viscosity (“IV”) of greater than 0.50dl/g. The invention provides for a tufted carpet that is completelyrecyclable without separation steps.

In one aspect, this invention relates to a polyester floor coveringarticle comprising 100% polyester solution dyed face yarn; a polyesterprimary backing layer; a polyester adhesive layer; and a 100% polyestersecondary backing layer in the weight range from 200 gsm to 1000 gsm, orin the weight range from 200 gsm to 850 gsm, or in the weight range from200 gsm to 500 gsm, or in weight range from 400 gsm to 850 gsm, or evenin the weight range from 400 gsm to 500 gsm.

In yet another aspect, the invention relates to a polyesterfloorcovering article comprised of polyester pile yarn; a spunbondnonwoven polyester primary backing layer; a first layer of polyester hotmelt adhesive having a certain viscosity, wherein the hot melt adhesiveis comprised of at least 50% recycled polyester material; a second layerof polyester hot melt adhesive having a viscosity or molecular weightthat is three to five times higher than the viscosity of the first layerof hot melt adhesive; and a polyester needlepunch nonwoven secondarybacking layer.

In a further aspect, the invention relates to a floorcovering articlecomprised of a layer of polyester yarn selected from the groupconsisting of loop pile, cut pile, or a combination of loop and cutpile; a layer of polyester primary backing layer selected from the groupconsisting of spunbond nonwoven, stitchbonded nonwoven, woven tape, andneedlepunch nonwoven; a first layer of polyester adhesive having acertain viscosity; a second layer of polyester adhesive having viscosityat least two times greater than the viscosity of the first layer ofpolyester adhesive; and a layer of polyester secondary backing layer inthe weight range of 200 gsm to 850 gsm.

In another aspect, the invention relates to a polyester floorcoveringarticle comprised of a pile material comprising a combination of loopand cut polyester pile, a spunbond nonwoven polyester primary backinglayer; a polyester hot melt adhesive layer; and a polyester hot meltadhesive layer with polyester filler material.

In yet another aspect, the invention relates to a polyesterfloorcovering article comprised of a pile material comprising acombination of polyester loop and cut pile; a spunbond nonwovenpolyester primary backing layer; a polyester hot melt adhesive layer; apolyester hot melt adhesive layer with polyester filler material; and apolyester film layer.

In a further aspect, the invention relates to a polyester floorcoveringarticle comprised of 100% polyester yarn with a weight range of 15-60oz/yd²; a polyester woven tape primary backing layer; a polyesteradhesive layer having viscosity in the range from 3000 cps to 10,000cps; and a secondary backing layer comprised of polyester.

In another aspect, the invention relates to a floorcovering articlecomprised of 100% polyester yarn with a weight range of 15-60 oz/yd²; aspun bond nonwoven polyester primary backing layer; a first layer ofpolyester adhesive having a certain viscosity; a woven polyester scrimreinforcement layer; a layer of polyester adhesive having a viscositythat is from three to eight times greater than the viscosity of thefirst adhesive layer; and a polyester secondary backing layer.

In yet another aspect, the invention relates to a floorcovering articlecomprised of 100% polyester yarn with a weight range of 15-60 oz/yd²; aspun bond nonwoven polyester primary backing layer; a layer of polyesteradhesive having a viscosity in the range from 3000 to 10,000 cps at 350°F.; and a polyester secondary backing layer.

In yet another aspect, the invention relates to a process for recyclinga floor covering article comprising substantially 100% polyestermaterial, said process comprising the steps of: (a) providing afloorcovering article comprised of substantially 100% polyestermaterial; (b) breaking down the floorcovering article into smallerpieces (for example, by shredding); (c) feeding the floorcoveringarticle into an agglomerator for further size reduction; (d) heating thefloorcovering article of step “c” to drive off moisture and preheat thematerial; (e) transferring the floorcovering article of step “d” into anextruder (such as a single or twin screw extruder) to create a polyesterpolymer melt; (f) subjecting the polyester melt material to vacuumpressure; (g) filtering the polyester melt material; (h) pelletizing thepolyester melt material to form a pelletized polyester material; and (i)incorporating the pelletized polyester material in a newpolyester-containing article. A new polyester-containing article may beselected from the group consisting of fiber, yarn, film, and articlesincorporating fiber, yarn or film. A new polyester-containing articlemay also include thermoplastic materials.

In a further aspect, the invention relates to a depolymerization processfor recycling a floor covering article comprising substantially 100%polyester material, said process comprising the steps of providing afloorcovering article comprised of substantially 100% polyestermaterial, breaking down the floorcovering article into smaller pieces,feeding the material into a bath solution that optionally contains atleast one catalyst, subjecting the material in the bath solution to heatand pressure to form polyester monomer material, polymerizing thepolyester monomer material to form polyester polymer material, andincorporating the polyester polymer material in a newpolyester-containing article.

In another aspect, the invention relates to a process for recycling apolyester floorcovering article comprising the steps of: (a) providing afloorcovering article comprised of substantially 100% polyestermaterial; (b) breaking down the floorcovering article into smallerpieces; (c) feeding the smaller pieces of the floorcovering article intoa plast agglomerator; (d) heating the floorcovering article by frictionto just below the melting temperature of the article; (e) forcing thefloorcovering article of step “d” through a die; (f) cutting thefloorcovering article of step “e” into granules with a high bulkdensity; and (g) using the granules as a feedstock for other processesto make polyester articles.

In yet a further aspect, the invention relates to a process forrecycling a polyester floorcovering article comprising the steps ofproviding a floorcovering article comprised of substantially 100%polyester material; marking the floorcovering article with a resinidentification code according to ASTM D7611/D7611M; placing thefloorcovering article in a recycle bin according to the resinidentification code present on the floorcovering article; and allowingthe floorcovering article to be recycled for use in new products.

In another aspect, the invention relates to a floor covering articlecomprised substantially of 100% polyester material, wherein the articlecontains an average post-consumer recycle content in the range from 70%to 100% by weight, and wherein the article is fully recyclable at theend-of-life.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a diagram cross section of one embodiment of the singlepolymer floorcovering article according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram cross section of another embodiment of the singlepolymer floorcovering article according to the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The term “floorcovering article,” as used herein, is intended todescribe a textile substrate which comprises face fibers and which isutilized to cover surfaces on which people are prone to walk. Thus,carpets (broadloom, tile, or otherwise) and floor mats (outdoor, indoor,and the like) are specific types of floorcovering articles.

The present invention described herein is a substantially 100% polyesterfloorcovering article that meets commercial tile specifications and thatis fully recyclable at the end-of-life and its method of manufacture. Inone aspect, the floorcovering article of the present invention is shownin FIG. 1. The floorcovering article 100 is comprised of a plurality offace yarns 110 that are tufted into a primary backing fabric 120. Theface yarns 110 are held in place by an adhesive layer 130. The adhesivelayer 130 also adheres a secondary backing 140 to the floorcoveringarticle. The floorcovering article 100 is made entirely from materialsin the polyester polymer family.

Specifically, the face yarn 110 is comprised of polyester polymerfilaments that are twisted and heat set. The yarn is typically heat setso that the yarn will retain its twist and resiliency. Face yarn madefrom PET is typically less resilient than face yarn made from polyamide.Historically, PET face yarns have had lower texture appearance retentionratings (TARR) after simulated wear test, such as Hexapod (ASTM D5252 orISO/TR 10361) or Vetterman (ASTM D5417), than polyamide face yarn. Thetexture appearance retention rating is an indication of how well acarpet will perform in a specific end use under typical traffic for thatapplication. The TARR rating is dependent on the tufting construction(tufting gauge, stitches per inch, and pile height), yarn selection(denier, twist level, and heat setting condition), as well as colorselection.

Surprisingly, it has been discovered that low pile heights (e.g. lessthan 0.25 inches) combined with high stitch density tuftingconstructions (e.g. density greater than 6000 oz/yd³) made from hightwist polyester yarns that are subsequently heat set will achieve heavyTARR rating. For example, in one instance, floorcovering articlescomprised of heat set polyester face yarns having 1465/2 denier with 4.5twists per inch may fail certain wear tests. However, floorcoveringarticles comprised of heat set polyester face yarns having 1465/2 denierwith 6.5 twists per inch may receive a “heavy” rating in the same weartest. Accordingly, it has been found that frieze or shag carpets withpile heights 0.375″ or higher will typically not perform in the samewear tests. In one aspect of the invention, a very good performingproduct had a tufted pile height of 0.125″, which shrank to 0.094″ afterheat setting. The initial pile density was 8064 oz/yd³. The finishedpile density was over 10,752 oz/yd³.

The yarn may be dyed or undyed. If the yarn is dyed, it may be solutiondyed. Polyester yarn is well known in the industry, and one commerciallyavailable supplier is Pharr Yarns of McAdenville, N.C. The face weightof the yarn, pile height, and density will vary depending on the desiredaesthetics and performance requirements of the end-use floorcoveringarticle. In one aspect, a 1465/2 semi dull solution dyed PET yarn may beutilized as the face yarn.

The primary backing can be any suitable primary backing. The preferredembodiment uses a nonwoven polyester spunbond. In one aspect, thepolyester spunbond backing is Lutradur® from Freudenberg Nonwovens ofWeinheim, Germany. In another aspect, flat woven polyester tapes, suchas Isis™ from Propex of Chattanooga, Tenn., may be utilized. If needed,a primary backing made of a woven tape with either staple fibers ornonwoven fabrics affixed can be used. Also stitch bonded and knittedpolyester fabrics may be used.

The composite material that includes the yarns tufted into the primarybacking may be heat stabilized to prevent dimensional changes fromoccurring in the finished carpet tile. The heat stabilizing or heatsetting process typically involves applying heat to the material that isabove the glass transition temperature, but below the meltingtemperature of the components. The heat allows the polymer components torelease internal tensions and allows improvement in the internalstructural order of the polymer chains. The heat stabilizing process canbe carried out under tension or in a relaxed state. The tufted compositematerial is typically also stabilized to allow for the yarn and primarybacking to shrink prior to the tile manufacturing process. Heatstabilization further aids in preventing the edges of the finished tilefrom curling. Dimensional stability may be measured using the AachenTest (ISO 2551).

The adhesive layer 130 may be composed of a monolithic adhesive polymeror multiple layers of adhesive polymers. In one aspect, the adhesive hassufficient viscosity to be able to flow and penetrate the yarn bundle,as well as to secure the yarn tufts to the primary backing. It has beendiscovered that if the viscosity of the adhesive layer is too high theadhesive may act to secure the yarn to the primary backing, but may failto lock the individual filaments of the yarn in place. Lack of adhesivepenetration into the yarn bundle will result in poor Velcro rollerfuzzing resistance (ITTS 112). Conversely, if the viscosity of theadhesive layer is too low, the adhesive may wet out the yarn and primarybacking, migrate up the yarn stalk to the face side of the floorcoveringarticle, and flow around the yarn bundle through the tuft holes and ontothe top of the primary backing. When this occurs, the floorcoveringarticle will exhibit a harsh plastic hand and detract from theaesthetics of the article.

Thus, in one aspect, the monolithic polyester adhesive layer 130 mayexhibit a viscosity in the range from 2000 to 80,000 cps at 350° F., orin the range from 3000 to 20,000 cps at 350° F., or in the range from3000 to 10,000 cps at 350° F., or in the range from 3000 to 6000 cps at350° F., or in the range from 3500 to 5000 cps at 350° F. If theviscosity is outside this range, the adhesive layer may not penetratethe yarn bundle or it may wick up the yarn stalk. The polyester adhesivelayer 130 in this viscosity range will predominately wet out the tuftedback stitch and primary backing. It is desirable to allow sufficientadhesive polymer to remain on the surface to aid in adhering thesecondary backing to the floorcovering article.

In one aspect, the adhesive is a hot melt adhesive polymer applied infilm form. The adhesive layer is typically present in the floorcoveringarticle in a weight range of from 7 oz/yd² to 25 oz/yd². The selectadhesive of the present invention aids in providing a Velcro rollerfuzzing performance of greater than 3 in the finished carpet tile.

While temperature and pressure may be used to control the penetration ofthe adhesive polymer in the carpet coating process, there may belimitations on their use. The ability to use temperature in the coatingprocess is limited by the other polyester substrates (primary carpetbacking) and the need to minimize degradation to the polymer. In oneaspect, the polymer is applied at a temperature that will not melt thepolyester primary backing. The ability to use pressure in the coatingprocess is also limited by the need to minimize crushing of thepolyester pile. Pressure may cause the polymer to penetrate and flowinto the tufted primary backing. The path taken by the adhesive polymeris typically the one of least resistance, which may result in thepolymer flowing around the yarn bundle through the openings in theprimary backing left from the tufting needles. The presence of theadhesive polymer in the yarn bundle aids in locking in the individualfilaments within the bundle and preventing pull out.

The penetration of the adhesive into the yarn bundle is important to thewear performance of the carpet. Surprisingly, the application of heat attemperatures above the adhesive softening temperature, but below theheat set temperature of the tufted carpet, will allow for improvedadhesive penetration into the yarn bundle. The penetration is enhancedfurther when the coated carpet is oriented so that the pile surface isbelow the coated back side of the carpet during the heat soakingprocess.

As shown in FIG. 2, floorcovering article 200 may be comprised of facefiber 210, primary backing 220, adhesive layers 231 and 232, andsecondary backing 240, as similarly described previously for FIG. 1.Thus, floorcovering article 200 may be comprised of multiple layers ofadhesive polymer. For example, as illustrated in FIG. 2, floorcoveringarticle 200 includes adhesive layers 231 and 232.

In one aspect, the viscosity of adhesive layer 232 is greater than theviscosity of adhesive layer 231. More specifically, the viscosity ofadhesive layer 232 is at least 3 times greater than the viscosity ofadhesive layer 231. In another aspect, the viscosity of adhesive layer232 may be from 2 to 10 times, from 2 to 8 times, from 2 to 5 times, orfrom 3 to 5 times greater than the viscosity of adhesive layer 231.Having differentiation of viscosity between the adhesive polymer layersreduces, or prevents, the adhesive polymer from wicking too far into thetufted backstitch rows and primary backing layer (towards the faceyarns). It is desirable that some of the adhesive polymer remains on thesurface to bond with the secondary backing layer. The polyester materialcomprising a second layer of adhesive may be the same as the polyestermaterial comprising the first layer, or it may be different.

The secondary backing layer 140 and 240 may be heat set or otherwisestabilized by techniques know to those skilled in the art. Inadequatestabilization may result in excessive dimensional changes (Aachen Test)or edge curling of the finished carpet tiles. The secondary backinglayer may be comprised of needle punch nonwoven materials made fromcontinuous or staple fiber, spunbond nonwoven materials, stitchbondedfabrics, hydroentangled nonwovens made from continuous or staple fibers,biaxially oriented polyester films, polyester spunbonded nonwovens,polyester stitch bonded nonwovens, polyester needlepunched nonwovens,polyester hydroentangled nonwovens, polyester carded nonwovens orthermally bonded nonwovens. If the secondary backing layer is a film,the film may have a thickness of 1 mil to 10 mils. In one aspect, afloorcovering article according to the present invention may be madewithout a secondary backing layer.

The tufted primary composite material (face yarns and primary backinglayer) is typically heat stabilized in a steamer using moisture and heatto preshrink the yarn and primary backing layer. Topical chemicaltreatments may then optionally be applied via a foamer. Thefloorcovering article is then dried. The adhesive layer is applied tothe stabilized tufted primary composite material. The adhesive may beapplied in the melted state by a three roll coater. The adhesive may beapplied by extrusion coating (melt), scatter coating (powder),lamination (film), knife over bed (dispersion), or other methods knownto the industry. The adhesive layer may be applied in an aqueous form oras a film. If the adhesive is applied as a monolithic layer, thesecondary backing may be bonded to the coated floorcovering article atthis time. The adhesive coated floorcovering article is heat soaked tore-melt the adhesive and to allow the adhesive to flow and penetrate theyarn bundle in the back stitch. If the adhesive is applied in multiplelayers, a second coating is applied by a three roll coater or othermethods described above. The heat stabilized secondary backing layer isapplied during the second coating step. The coated and laminatedfloorcovering article may then be cut into individual carpet tiles.

The polyester adhesive polymer may be comprised of material having atleast 50% recycled polyester content by weight. In another aspect, thepolyester adhesive polymer may be comprised of material having at least65% recycled polyester content by weight. In another aspect, thepolyester adhesive polymer may be comprised of recycled polyestercontent in the range from 50% to 80% by weight.

One of the main uses of recycled polyester material is to make polyesterstaple fiber that is used in nonwovens, fiberfill, etc. The fiberspinning process involves extruding polymer through small orificeswithin a die. The small diameter of the fibers produced requires thatthe polymer melt is filtered to remove particular matter, in some casesparticles greater than 43 microns need to be removed. The polyesterfiber spinning applications typically require that the adhesive be freefrom inorganic particular matter or fillers.

A novel approach is to add polyester fillers to the adhesive layer. Thelow melting temperature and low viscosity of the adhesive will allow forPET filler to be added to the adhesive. The adhesive processingtemperatures are such that the PET filler is typically not melted. Theincorporation of the polymer filler as an unmelted solid in the adhesivelayer will add rigidity and stiffness to the floorcovering article. Thepolyester filler may be present in the adhesive polymer in the range of10% to 50% by weight. Alternatively, the adhesive polymer may be freefrom filler materials.

The selection of the filler may impact the end-of-life customers, withrespect to the intrinsic viscosity (“IV”) of the PET floorcoveringarticle. For example, the use of PET that has a solution IV of less than0.50 dl/g will reduce the overall solution IV of the carpet composite.The use of PET that has a solution IV of greater than 1.0 dl/g willraise the overall carpet composite IV, but the high IV PET may not meltin the end-of-life processors equipment. The desired IV of the filler isin the range of 0.50 to 0.80 dl/g. PET filler in this range will melt inthe typical PET range, and there will be some transesterification of thelower IV and higher IV materials during melt processing. Intrinsicviscosity may be measured according to ASTM D4603. The polymer fillershould have a particle size in the range of 60 to 140 mesh. Polymerfiller with larger particle size will cause drag marks and otherprocessing problems when applying the adhesive to the carpet. A possiblesource of PET fillers is “fines” from PET bottle washing plants thatoccur during chip handling.

The floorcovering article of the present invention may be dyed orprinted by techniques known to those skilled in the art. Printing inkswill contain at least one dye. Dyes may be selected from acid dyes,direct dyes, reactive dyes, cationic dyes, disperse dyes, and mixturesthereof. Acid dyes include azo, anthraquinone, triphenyl methane andxanthine types. Direct dyes include azo, stilbene, thiazole, dioxsazineand phthalocyanine types. Reactive dyes include azo, anthraquinone andphthalocyanine types. Cationic dyes include thiazole, methane, cyanine,quinolone, xanthene, azine, and triaryl methine. Disperse dyes includeazo, anthraquinone, nitrodiphenylamine, naphthalimide, naphthoquinoneimide and methane, triarylmethine and quinoline types.

As is known in the textile printing art, specific dye selection dependsupon the type of fiber and/or fibers comprising the textile substratethat is being printed. For example, in general, a disperse dye may beused to print polyester fibers. Alternatively, for materials made fromcationic dyeable polyester fiber, cationic dyes may be used.

The printing process of the present invention uses a jet dyeing machine,or a digital printing machine, to place printing ink on the surface ofthe textile substrate (such as a carpet tile) in predeterminedlocations. One suitable and commercially available digital printingmachine is the Millitron® digital printing machine, available fromMilliken & Company of Spartanburg, S.C. The Millitron® machine uses anarray of jets with continuous streams of dye liquor that can bedeflected by a controlled air jet. The array of jets, or gun bars, istypically stationary. Another suitable and commercially availabledigital printing machine is the Chromojet® carpet printing machine,available from Zimmer Machinery Corporation of Spartanburg, S.C. In oneaspect, a tufted carpet made according to the processes disclosed inU.S. Pat. No. 7,678,159 and U.S. Pat. No. 7,846,214, both to Weiner, maybe printed with a jet dyeing apparatus as described and exemplifiedherein.

Viscosity modifiers may be included in the printing ink compositions.Suitable viscosity modifiers that may be utilized include known naturalwater-soluble polymers such as polysaccharides, such as starchsubstances derived from corn and wheat, gum arabic, locust bean gum,tragacanth gum, guar gum, guar flour, polygalactomannan gum, xanthan,alginates, and a tamarind seed; protein substances such as gelatin andcasein; tannin substances; and lignin substances. Examples of thewater-soluble polymer further include synthetic polymers such as knownpolyvinyl alcohol compounds and polyethylene oxide compounds. Mixturesof the aforementioned viscosity modifiers may also be used. The polymerviscosity is measured at elevated temperatures when the polymer is inthe molten state. For example, viscosity may be measured in units ofcentipoise at elevated temperatures, using a Brookfield Thermosel unitfrom Brookfield Engineering Laboratories of Middleboro, Mass.Alternatively, polymer viscosity may be measured by using a parallelplate rheometer, such as made by Haake from Rheology Services ofVictoria Australia.

The floorcovering article of the present invention may be exposed topost treatment steps. For example, chemical treatments such as stainrelease, stain block, antimicrobial resistance, bleach resistance, andthe like, may be added to the recyclable, single polymer floorcoveringarticle. Mechanical post treatments may include cutting, shearing,and/or napping the surface of the floorcovering article.

With respect to stain treatment specifically, since polyester andpolyester carpet fibers have a natural affinity for oily substances, thebuildup of oily substances on the carpet face may detract from theappearance of the carpet. The natural affinity of polyester for oilysubstances may make cleaning and maintenance of the carpet difficult.One embodiment of the invention applies high molecular weightethoxylated polyester to the carpet face. One possible source of theethoxylated polyester is Lubril QCX from Momentive Performance MaterialsHoldings LLC of Columbus, Ohio. The ethoxylated polyester treatment mayminimize staining and improve the ability of the carpet to releasestains during cleaning.

The recyclable, single polymer floorcovering articles of the presentinvention includes, without limitation, woven carpet, knitted carpet,tufted carpet, graphics tufted carpet, stitched on pile carpet, bondedpile carpet, hooked carpet, knotted pile carpet, and the like. Thefloorcovering article may be broadloom carpet or carpet tiles. Thefloorcovering articles may be of any suitable construction (e.g.hardback, cushion back, etc.). The face may be constructed of anyappropriate textile material in yarn or pile form that is suitable fordyeing and patterning, and may have a face height or pile height that isuniform or non-uniform (e.g. may be textured, as found in a multi-levelloop pile) created by tufting, needling, flocking, bonding, and thelike, or the use of non-woven substrates. Details of floorcoveringconstructions, including hardback floorcovering articles, are describedin WO 03/106751 A1.

The face yarns are comprised of polyester material. Examples ofpolyester materials include aromatic polyesters, such as polyethyleneterephthalate (PET), polybutylene terephthalate (PBT), polytrimethyleneterephthalate (PTT), and polytriphenylene terephthalate, and aliphaticpolyesters, such as polylactic acid (PLA), and combinations thereof.

The polyester materials of the present invention may be formed fromstaple fiber, filament fiber, slit film fiber, or combinations thereof.The fiber may be exposed to one or more texturing processes. The fibermay then be spun or otherwise combined into yarns, for example, by ringspinning, open-end spinning, air jet spinning, vortex spinning, orcombinations thereof. Accordingly, the floorcovering article willgenerally be comprised of layers of materials comprising interlacedfibers, interlaced yarns, loops, or combinations thereof.

The selection of the individual carpet components (yarn, primarybacking, adhesive, and secondary backing) may impact the end of lifecustomers with respect to the intrinsic viscosity of the PETfloorcovering article. The intrinsic viscosity of the yarn, primarybacking, and secondary backing should be as high as possible with theideal materials having an intrinsic viscosity between 0.50 dl/g and 0.80dl/g. The use of components with intrinsic viscosity less than 0.50 dl/gwill reduce the overall intrinsic viscosity of the total floorcoveringarticle. Floor covering articles made from components of lower intrinsicviscosity will produce recycled raw materials with lower intrinsicviscosity. The recycled raw materials with lower intrinsic viscositywill have less value as potential raw materials and fewer potentialuses. The selection of the components should also consider potentialchemical and polymer contamination. For example, materials such aspolyvinyl chloride and halogenated chemicals will cause degradation ofthe polyester polymer during the end of life melt processing,

In FIGS. 1 and 2, the face yarns are illustrated in a loop pileconstruction. Of course, it is to be understood that other face yarnconstructions including cut pile constructions and combinations of looppile and cut pile may likewise be used.

The textile substrate may be comprised of fibers or yarns of any size,including microdenier fibers or yarns (fibers or yarns having less thanone denier per filament). The fibers or yarns may have deniers thatrange from less than about 0.1 denier per filament to about 2000 denierper filament or, more preferably, from less than about 1 denier perfilament to about 500 denier per filament.

Additionally, the fibers comprising the floorcovering article mayinclude additives coextruded therein, may be precoated with any numberof different materials, including those listed in greater detail below,and/or may be dyed or colored to provide other aesthetic features forthe end user with any type of colorant, such as, for example,poly(oxyalkylenated) colorants, as well as pigments, dyes, tints, andthe like. Other additives may also be present on and/or within thetarget fiber or yarn, including antistatic agents, brighteningcompounds, nucleating agents, antioxidants, UV stabilizers, fillers,permanent press finishes, softeners, lubricants, curing accelerators,and the like.

Floorcovering articles may have a fiber face weight in the range fromabout 1 to about 75 ounces/square yard, or in the range from about 5 toabout 60 ounces/square yard, or in the range from about 10 to about 55ounces/square yard, or in the range from about 15 to about 50ounces/square yard. The layers of the floorcovering article maycomprise, on average, from 70 to 100% of polyester post-content.Specifically, the layer of face yarn may be comprised of polyesterpost-consumer content (i.e. recycled material) in the range from 70% to100% by weight. The primary backing layer may be comprised of polyesterpost-consumer content in the range from 70% to 100% by weight. One ormore of the adhesive layers may be comprised of polyester post-consumercontent in the range from 70% to 100% by weight. The secondary backinglayer may be comprised of polyester post-consumer content in the rangefrom 70% to 100% by weight.

In modular carpet tile installation, adhesives may be used to hold thetiles to the floor. These adhesive are typically polyolefin based or SBRlatex based. The installation adhesives will leave residue on the backside of the all polyester tile that will contaminate the tile and maycause processing issues for the end-of-life customers. Thus, apolyester-based installation adhesive may be made using the polyesterhot melt adhesives blended with a plasticizer and/or tackifier. Thepolyester adhesive may be Avox ARP-40 from Ulterion International ofTaylors, S.C. and the plasticizer may be a functionalized polyethyleneglycol. Such an adhesive will eliminate, or greatly reduce,contamination that may be caused from a non-polyester based adhesivematerial used in modular carpet tile installation. The polyester-basedinstallation adhesive also provides a high friction coating thatprevents lateral movement of the installed floorcovering article. Labtrials evaluating chemicals to modify polyester adhesive viscosity haveproduced a very tacky substance that could be used as an installationadhesive. The lab trials used ARP-40 mixed with 30 to 50% Uniplex 809available from Unitex Chemical of Greensboro, N.C.

EXAMPLES

The invention may be further understood by reference to the followingexamples which are not to be construed as limiting the scope of thepresent invention.

Test Procedures

Viscosity Determination:

Unless otherwise indicated, viscosity was measured using a BrookfieldThermosel unit available from Brookfield Laboratories, Middleboro,Mass., operating at 60 rpm using a #27 spindle.

Velcro Roller Fuzzing Test ITTS 112:

The sample was subjected to the cycling action of a two-pound rollerwith #88 Velcro hook attached. The roller was rolled forward in the longdirection of the specimen and pulled to return to the starting positionwithout applying any extra pressure to the roller. The forward andbackward stroke was considered one cycle. Cycling was repeated in setsof five (5) up to twenty-five (25) strokes. The Key to Rating was asfollows:

5=Negligible or no fuzzing

4=Slight fuzzing

3=Noticeable fuzzing

2=Considerable fuzzing

1=Severe fuzzing.

The Standard Test Method for Tuft Bind of Pile Yarn Floor Coverings ASTMD1355-05 was used to determine tuft strength of the floorcoveringarticle of the present invention.

The Standard Test Method for Resistance to Delamination of the SecondaryBacking of Pile Yarn Floor Covering ASTM D3936-02 was used to determinedelamination resistance of the floorcovering article of the presentinvention.

The Standard Practice for Coding Plastic Manufactured Articles for ResinIdentification ASTM D7611/D7611M-10 was used to determine codeidentification and recyclability of the floorcovering articles of thepresent invention.

Example 1

A floorcovering article comprised substantially of 100% polyestermaterial was prepared as follows:

A base substrate was constructed of 40 oz/yd² tufted polyester loopcarpet containing a combination of semi-dull and bright yarns. The yarnswere tufted through a 130 gsm polyester nonwoven primary backing layerfrom Freudenberg. The semi-dull yarn was 55% of the tufted face weightand the bright yarn was 45% of the tufted face weight. The yarns werearranged in alternating rows. The semi-dull yarn was a 2 ply, 2 ends pertufting needle, available from Pharr. The bright yarn was a 2 ply, 2ends per tufting needle, available from Pharr. All yarn was in an undyedstate. However, it should be noted that solution dyed yarn mayoptionally be used.

The tufted primary backing was scatter coated with EMS Griltex D1539copolyester hot melt adhesive powder (melt viscosity of 100,000 cps at160° C. measured per ISO 1133) from EMS Chemie of Domat, Switzerland.5.8 oz/yd² of adhesive was applied using a scatter (powder) coater. Thesample was placed under an infrared (“IR”) heater to sinter theadhesive, and a nonwoven PET secondary backing was laminated to thecoated carpet. The carpet composite had good delamination resistance(greater than 8 lbs) and good tuft bind (greater than 8 lbs). The Velcroroller fuzzing resistance was less than 2.

Example 2

The tufted primary backing used in Example 1 was scatter coated with EMSGriltex D1539 copolyester hot melt adhesive powder. 10 oz/yd² ofadhesive was applied. The sample was placed under an IR heater to sinterthe adhesive. The carpet composite had good tuft bind (greater than 8lbs). The Velcro roller fuzzing resistance was less than 2.

Example 3

The tufted primary backing of Example 1 was scatter coated with EMSGriltex D1539 copolyester hot melt adhesive powder. 16 oz/yd² ofadhesive was applied. The sample was placed under an IR heater to sinterthe adhesive. The carpet composite had good tuft bind (greater than 8lbs). The Velcro roller fuzzing resistance was 2.

Example 4

The tufted primary backing of Example 1 was scatter coated with EMSGriltex D1539 copolyester hot melt adhesive powder. 5.3 oz/yd² ofadhesive was applied. The sample was placed under an IR heater to sinterthe adhesive. An additional 5.3 oz/yd² of adhesive was applied, and theadhesive was sintered. An additional 5.3 oz/yd² of adhesive was applied;the adhesive was sintered; and a nonwoven PET secondary backing waslaminated to the coated carpet. The carpet composite had gooddelamination resistance (8 lbs) and good tuft bind (greater than 8 lbs).The Velcro roller fuzzing resistance was 2.

Example 5

The tufted primary backing of Example 1 was scatter coated with EMSGriltex D1539 copolyester hot melt adhesive powder. 16 oz/yd² ofadhesive was applied. The sample was placed under an IR heater to sinterthe adhesive, and the same nonwoven PET secondary backing of Example 1was laminated to the coated carpet. The carpet composite was placed facedown in an oven and heat soaked. The carpet had good delaminationresistance (greater than 8 lbs) and good tuft bind (greater than 8 lbs).The Velcro roller fuzzing resistance was less than 2.

Example 6

The tufted primary backing of Example 1 was scatter coated with EMSGriltex D1582 copolyester hot melt adhesive powder (melt viscosity of130,000 cps at 160° C. measured per ISO 1133). 16 oz/yd² of adhesive wasapplied. The sample was placed under an IR heater to sinter theadhesive. The carpet composite was placed face down in an oven and heatsoaked for 2 minutes at 330° F. The Velcro roller fuzzing resistance was2.

Example 7

The tufted primary backing of Example 1 was coated with a film made fromSkybon EH 100 copolyester hot melt adhesive (melt flow rate of 37 g/10min at 160° C.) from SK Chemicals of Gyeonggi-Do, Korea. 20 oz/yd² ofadhesive was applied. The sample was placed under an IR heater to sinterthe adhesive, and the same nonwoven PET secondary backing of Example 1was laminated to the coated carpet. The carpet composite was placed facedown in an oven and heat soaked. The Velcro roller fuzzing resistancewas 2.

Example 8

The tufted primary backing of Example 1 was coated with a film made fromDynacoll S1401 copolyester hot melt adhesive (melt viscosity of 110,000cps at 160° C. ISO 3219) from Evonik of Essen, Germany. 20 oz/yd² ofadhesive was applied. The sample was placed under an IR heater to sinterthe adhesive, and the nonwoven PET secondary backing of Example 1 waslaminated to the coated carpet. The carpet composite was placed facedown in an oven and heat soaked. The Velcro roller fuzzing resistancewas 2.

Example 9

The tufted primary backing of Example 1 was coated with a film made fromDynacoll S1402 copolyester hot melt adhesive (melt viscosity of 100,000cps at 160° C. ISO 3219). 20 oz/yd² of adhesive was applied. The samplewas placed under an IR heater to sinter the adhesive, and the nonwovenPET secondary backing of Example 1 was laminated to the coated carpet.The carpet composite was placed face down in an oven and heat soaked.The Velcro roller fuzzing resistance was 2.

Example 10

The tufted primary backing of Example 1 was coated with a film made fromDynacoll S341 copolyester hot melt adhesive (melt viscosity of 20,000cps at 180° C. ISO 3219. 20 oz/yd² of adhesive was applied. The samplewas placed under an IR heater to sinter the adhesive, and the nonwovenPET secondary backing of Example 1 was laminated to the coated carpet.The carpet composite was placed face down in an oven and heat soaked.The Velcro roller fuzzing resistance was 3. The edges of the carpetcomposite exhibited severe curling. Without being bound by theory, thisis believed to be due to the crystallinity of the adhesive.

Example 11

The tufted primary backing of Example 1 was coated with a film made fromBostik HM 4186 copolyester hot melt adhesive (melt viscosity of 140,000cps at 180° C.) from Bostik of Middleton, Mass. 20 oz/yd² of adhesivewas applied. The sample was placed under an IR heater to sinter theadhesive, and the nonwoven PET secondary backing of Example 1 waslaminated to the coated carpet. The carpet composite was placed facedown in an oven and heat soaked. The Velcro roller fuzzing resistancewas 2.

Example 12

The tufted primary backing of Example 1 was coated with a film made froma 50:50 blend of Skybon EH100 and EMS Griltex D1539 copolyester hot meltadhesives. 20 oz/yd² of adhesive was applied. The sample was placedunder an IR heater to sinter the adhesive. The carpet composite wasplaced face down in an oven and heat soaked. The Velcro roller fuzzingresistance was 2.

Example 13

The tufted primary backing of Example 1 was coated with a film made froma 90:10 blend of Skybon EH100 hot melt adhesive and Uniplex 809plasticizer. 20 oz/yd² of adhesive was applied. The sample was placedunder an IR heater to sinter the adhesive, and the nonwoven PETsecondary backing of Example 1 was laminated to the coated carpet. Thecarpet composite was placed face down in an oven and heat soaked. TheVelcro roller fuzzing resistance was 2.

Example 14

The tufted primary backing of Example 1 was coated with a film made froman 80:20 blend of Skybon EH100 hot melt adhesive and Dynacoll S341 hotmelt adhesive. 20 oz/yd² of adhesive was applied. The sample was placedunder an IR heater to sinter the adhesive, and the nonwoven PETsecondary backing of Example 1 was laminated to the coated carpet. Thecarpet composite was placed face down in an oven and heat soaked. TheVelcro roller fuzzing resistance was 2.

Example 15

The tufted primary backing of Example 1 was coated with a film made froma 90:10 blend of Skybon EH100 hot melt adhesive and non-polyester polarwax. 20 oz/yd² of adhesive was applied. The sample was placed under anIR heater to sinter the adhesive, and the nonwoven PET secondary backingof Example 1 was laminated to the coated carpet. The carpet compositewas placed face down in an oven and heat soaked. The Velcro rollerfuzzing resistance was 2.

Example 16

The tufted primary backing of Example 1 was coated with a film made fromAvox ARP-40 hot melt adhesive with a melt viscosity of 2100 cps at 150°C. 20 oz/yd² of adhesive was applied. The sample was placed under an IRheater to sinter the adhesive. The carpet composite was placed face downin an oven and heat soaked. The adhesive migrated up the yarn stalk andplasticized the fiber. The carpet had a very harsh hand and poorappearance.

Example 17

The tufted primary backing of Example 1 was coated with a film made fromAvox ARP-40 hot melt adhesive with a melt viscosity of 4200 cps at 150°C. 20 oz/yd² of adhesive was applied. The sample was placed under an IRheater to sinter the adhesive. The carpet composite was placed face downin an oven and heat soaked. The Velcro roller fuzzing resistance was 4.The adhesive migrated into the yarn bundle on the rear side of theprimary backing. There was no visual evidence of the adhesive migratingup the yarn stalk.

Example 18

The tufted primary backing of Example 1 was coated with a film made fromAvox ARP-40 hot melt adhesive with a melt viscosity of 4200 cps at 150°C. 20 oz/yd² of adhesive was applied. The sample was placed under an IRheater to sinter the adhesive. The carpet composite was placed face downin an oven and heat soaked. The carpet composite was reheated and thesecondary backing of Example was laminated thereto. The Velcro rollerfuzzing resistance was 4. There was not adequate adhesive left on theback side of the composite to bond it to the nonwoven secondary backing(no bond was formed).

Example 19

The tufted primary backing of Example 1 was coated with Avox ARP-40 hotmelt adhesive. 35 oz/yd² of adhesive was applied. The nonwoven secondarybacking of Example 1 was laminated thereto. The adhesive migrated intothe yarn bundle and there was not adequate adhesive left on the backside of the carpet composite to bond to the nonwoven secondary backing(no bond was formed).

Example 20

The tufted primary backing of Example 1 was coated with Avox ARP-40 hotmelt adhesive. 20 oz/yd² of adhesive was applied. The carpet compositeis placed face down in an oven and heat soaked. A second coating of theARP-40 hot melt adhesive was applied at 20 oz/yd². The nonwovensecondary backing of Example 1 was laminated thereto. The adhesivemigrated into the yarn bundle, and there was not adequate adhesive lefton the back side to bond to the nonwoven secondary backing (no bond wasformed).

Example 21

A floor covering article comprised substantially of 100% polyestermaterials was prepared as follows:

A base substrate was constructed of 28 oz/yd² tufted polyester loopcarpet containing a combination of solution dyed yarns of differentcolors. The yarns were tufted through a 130 gsm polyester nonwovenprimary backing layer. The solution dyed yarn had a 6.5 twist per inchand was heat set.

The tufted primary backing layer was coated with a film made from AvoxARP-40 hot melt adhesive. 20 oz/yd² of adhesive was applied. The carpetcomposite was placed face down in an oven and heat soaked. A coating ofAvox ARP-200 was applied and a secondary backing of Example 1 waslaminated thereto. The Velcro roller fuzzing resistance was 4. Theappearance retention was rated as heavy. The delamination resistance was26 lbs., and the tuft bind was 16.5 lbs. Accordingly, the polyesterfloorcovering article of the present invention may exhibit a Resistanceto Delamination value of greater than 8 pounds, or of greater than 10pounds, or of greater than 12 pounds, or of greater than 15 pounds, orof greater than 20 pounds, or of greater than 25 pounds.

Thus, in one embodiment, the invention as described herein includes afloorcovering article made by tufting comprising the following:

-   Layer #1: 100% polyester, solution dyed yarn tufted through primary    backing;-   Layer #2: spunbond nonwoven polyester primary backing layer;-   Layer #3: polyester hot melt adhesive with a melt viscosity of 4200    cps at 350° F.; wherein the adhesive layer is in the weight range of    7 oz/yd² to 25 oz/yd²;-   Layer #4: 100% polyester heat set staple fiber needlepunch nonwoven    secondary backing layer in the weight range of 200 gsm to 1000 gsm.

The tufted floorcovering article is completely recyclable with asolution IV >0.50 dl/g as per ASTM D4603 and ash content <0.25% as perASTM D5630. The tufted carpet exhibits the following commercialperformance properties:

-   -   Velcro roller fuzzing value of greater than 3 as per ITTS 112;    -   Delamination test value of greater than 8 lbs., or even greater        than 10 lbs., as per ASTM D3936; and    -   Aachen dimensional stability of less than +/−0.1% change as per        ISO 2551.

The tufted floor covering article may comprise more than one layer ofadhesive polymer. For example the following adhesive polymer layers maybe utilized:

-   -   Layer #3A: polyester hot melt adhesive with a melt viscosity of        4200 cps at 350° F. (Avox ARP-40 made of 65% recycled material);        and    -   Layer #3B: polyester hot melt adhesive having a        viscosity/molecular weight that is 3-5 times higher than layer        #3A;    -   the polyester material of Layer #3B may be the same or different        than the polyester material of Layer #3A.

The polyester yarn may be loop pile, cut pile, or combinations of loopand cut pile. The yarn may be bulked continuous filament (“BCF”) yarn.The primary backing of the tufted floorcovering article may comprisepolyester spunbond, polyester woven tape, polyester stitch bondedfabric, or polyester knitted fabric. A polyester filler may beincorporated into the adhesive Layer #3. The filler may be in the weightrange of 10% to 50% of the adhesive layer.

In one alternative embodiment, a biaxially oriented PET film may be usedin place of the secondary backing layer. The film may have a thicknessin the range from 1 to 10 mils. In yet another embodiment, a woven petscrim reinforcement (knit of woven) may be laminated into the adhesivelayer.

Further, the invention as described herein includes a floorcoveringarticle made from all polyester components that is recycled by meltprocessing. The floorcovering articles (such as carpet tiles) areshredded and fed into an agglomerator for further size reduction. Theshredded material is then exposed to a preheating step which results inmoisture removal. The material is then fed into an extruder where thepolymer melt is subject to high vacuum and melt filtration. The polymermelt is then pelletized. The polyester pellets can be used to makevarious polyester articles, such as staple fiber and nonwoven materials.

Further, the invention as described herein includes a floorcoveringarticle made from all polyester components that is recycled by meltprocessing. The floorcovering articles (such as carpet tiles) areshredded, fed into a twin screw extruder, processed under vacuum toremove moisture, and pelletized. The polyester pellets can be used tomake various polyester articles, such as staple fiber and nonwovenmaterials.

Further, the invention as described herein includes a floorcoveringarticle made from all polyester components that is recycled by meltprocessing. The floorcovering articles (such as carpet tiles) areshredded and fed into an agglomerator for further size reduction. Theshredded material is then exposed to a preheating step which results inmoisture removal. The material is then fed into an extruder where thepolymer melt is subject to high vacuum and melt filtration. The polymermelt is then pelletized. The pellets are further processed in a reactorunder heat and high vacuum to solid state polymerize the pellets andincrease the molecular weight and intrinsic viscosity of the pellets.The polyester pellets can be used to make various polyester articles,such as staple fiber and nonwoven materials.

In yet another embodiment, the invention as described herein includes afloorcovering article made from all polyester components that isrecycled by depolymerization. The floorcovering articles (such as carpettiles) are shredded and fed into a reactor for depolymerization viamethanolysis, glycolysis, or hydrolysis. The monomer thus created can beused as feedstock to make polyester polymer.

In a further embodiment, the invention as described herein includes afloorcovering article made from all polyester components that isrecycled by melt processing. The floorcovering articles (such as carpettiles) are shredded and densified or plast-agglomerated. Theplast-agglomeration process involves heating the polymer using frictionto a point just below the polymer melting temperature. The heatedpolymer is forced through a die and cut to form free-flowing particleswith a high bulk density. The plast-agglomerated material is fed into amelt process and used to make various polyester articles.

Additionally, the invention as described herein includes a floorcoveringarticle that is made from all polyester components that has apost-consumer recycle (“PCR”) content in the range from 70% to 100% byweight, and at the end-of-life is fully recyclable. The use ofcomponents made from post-consumer recycled goods will minimize theproduct carbon footprint and reduce the impact on the environment.Specifically, the PET face yarn will be made with up to 100% PCR PET;the primary backing layer will be made with up to 100% PCR PET; theadhesive(s) will be made with up to 70% PCR PET; and the secondarybacking layer (such as felt) will be made from up to 100% PCR PET.

All references, including publications, patent applications, andpatents, cited herein are hereby incorporated by reference to the sameextent as if each reference were individually and specifically indicatedto be incorporated by reference and were set forth in its entiretyherein.

The use of the terms “a” and “an” and “the” and similar referents in thecontext of describing the subject matter of this application (especiallyin the context of the following claims) are to be construed to coverboth the singular and the plural, unless otherwise indicated herein orclearly contradicted by context. The terms “comprising,” “having,”“including,” and “containing” are to be construed as open-ended terms(i.e., meaning “including, but not limited to,”) unless otherwise noted.Recitation of ranges of values herein are merely intended to serve as ashorthand method of referring individually to each separate valuefalling within the range, unless otherwise indicated herein, and eachseparate value is incorporated into the specification as if it wereindividually recited herein. All methods described herein can beperformed in any suitable order unless otherwise indicated herein orotherwise clearly contradicted by context. The use of any and allexamples, or exemplary language (e.g., “such as”) provided herein, isintended merely to better illuminate the subject matter of theapplication and does not pose a limitation on the scope of the subjectmatter unless otherwise claimed. No language in the specification shouldbe construed as indicating any non-claimed element as essential to thepractice of the subject matter described herein.

Preferred embodiments of the subject matter of this application aredescribed herein, including the best mode known to the inventors forcarrying out the claimed subject matter. Variations of those preferredembodiments may become apparent to those of ordinary skill in the artupon reading the foregoing description. The inventors expect skilledartisans to employ such variations as appropriate, and the inventorsintend for the subject matter described herein to be practiced otherwisethan as specifically described herein. Accordingly, this disclosureincludes all modifications and equivalents of the subject matter recitedin the claims appended hereto as permitted by applicable law. Moreover,any combination of the above-described elements in all possiblevariations thereof is encompassed by the present disclosure unlessotherwise indicated herein or otherwise clearly contradicted by context.

What is claimed is:
 1. A process for recycling a floor covering articlecomprising substantially 100% polyester material, said processcomprising the steps of: (a) providing a floorcovering article comprisedof substantially 100% polyester material; (b) breaking down thefloorcovering article into smaller pieces; (c) feeding the floorcoveringarticle into an agglomerator for further size reduction; (d) heating thefloorcovering article of step “c” to drive off moisture and preheat thematerial; (e) transferring the floorcovering article of step “d” into anextruder to create a polyester polymer melt; (f) subjecting thepolyester melt material to vacuum pressure; (g) filtering the polyestermelt material; (h) pelletizing the polyester melt material to form apelletized polyester material; and (i) incorporating the pelletizedpolyester material in a new polyester-containing article.
 2. The processof claim 1, wherein the recycling process is achieved by meltprocessing.
 3. The process of claim 1, wherein the process of breakingdown the floorcovering article is achieved by shredding.
 4. The processof claim 1, wherein the new polyester-containing article is selectedfrom the group consisting of fiber, yarn, film, and articlesincorporating fiber, yarn or film.
 5. The process of claim 1, whereinthe new polyester-containing article is a thermoplastic material.
 6. Theprocess of claim 1, wherein the extruder is a twin screw extruder. 7.The process of claim 1, wherein the pelletized polyester material isfurther processed in a reactor under heat and high vacuum to solid statepolymerize the material and increase the molecular weight and intrinsicviscosity.
 8. A depolymerization process for recycling a floor coveringarticle comprising substantially 100% polyester material, said processcomprising the steps of: (a) providing a floorcovering article comprisedof substantially 100% polyester material; (b) breaking down thefloorcovering article into smaller pieces; (c) feeding the material intoa bath solution that optionally contains at least one catalyst; (d)subjecting the material in the bath solution to heat and pressure toform polyester monomer material; (e) polymerizing the polyester monomermaterial to form polyester polymer material; and (f) incorporating thepolyester material in a new polyester-containing article.
 9. The processof claim 8, wherein depolymerization is achieved via methanolysis. 10.The process of claim 8, wherein depolymerization is achieved viaglycolysis.
 11. The process of claim 8, wherein depolymerization isachieved via hydrolysis.
 12. A process for recycling a polyesterfloorcovering article comprising the steps of: (a) providing afloorcovering article comprised of substantially 100% polyestermaterial; (b) breaking down the floorcovering article into smallerpieces; (c) feeding the smaller pieces of the floorcovering article intoa plast agglomerator; (d) heating the floorcovering article by frictionto just below the melting temperature of the article; (e) forcing thefloorcovering article of step “d” through a die; (f) cutting thefloorcovering article of step “e” into granules with a high bulkdensity; and (g) using the granules as a feedstock for other processesto make polyester articles.
 13. A process for recycling a polyesterfloorcovering article comprising the steps of: (a) providing afloorcovering article comprised of substantially 100% polyestermaterial; (b) marking the floorcovering article with a resinidentification code according to ASTM D7611/D7611M; (c) placing thefloorcovering article in a recycle bin according to the resinidentification code present on the floorcovering article; and (d)allowing the floorcovering article to be recycled for use in newproducts.